The Newly Revised DT Swiss 240 Hubs

DT Swiss has updated their legendary top of the line mountain bike hubs with several new features, among which the updated Star Ratchet freewheel engagement system stands out. The new DT 240 are lighter, more rigid, easier to maintain and less subject to wear. Let’s find out more details about the updated classic.

The new 240 Ratchet EXP freewheel is made with fewer components, i.e. a single spring, rather than two, which compresses the freewheel gear against the other gearwheel which is now incorporated in the threaded ring nut which is screwed onto the hub body.

Fewer moving parts means fewer wearing parts and a more prompt and reliable response. Fewer components also reduce the overall weight and allow for easier maintenance.

As regards the simplicity of maintenance, a small flange has been added to the spacer caps which are incorporated and inserted into the hub simply by pressure. This makes the tool free maintenance even simpler.

An interesting aspect of the new engagement system is that the single piece with the threaded ring nut allows the bearing to be housed inside, moving it more outboard compared to the previous model and therefore increasing the distance between the two bearings and consequently the hub stiffness, by 15% as well while increasing the life of the bearings.

DT has chosen fewer engagement points for the 240’s new Ratchet EXP engagement system, with 36 points determining an angle of 10°, explaining in detail how a reduced number of engagement points adversely affects the quality of the engagement to an extent less than it positively affects the performance of the suspension system as it significantly reduces the pedal kickback phenomenon, thanks to a lower counter-rotation angle of the cranks.